


The Thirteen Who Remain

by FallenGods



Category: Aquaman (Comics), Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Green Arrow (Comics), Justice League Dark (Comics), Justice League of America (Comics), Superman (Comics)
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, will add more tags and characters as it goes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-09-27 13:17:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10022273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenGods/pseuds/FallenGods
Summary: After Earth is hit by mysterious beams of pure energy that kill most of the heroes who protect it, it seems to be easy pickings for the advanced beings who sent them. However, the beams didn't kill everyone and those who remain are not so willing to stand by and let their world be destroyed.





	1. J'ONN J'ONZZ

The sensors went off like a thousand blaring horns in the Watchtower control room. J’onn was sitting apart from the others, Oracle and Cyborg, when they did. He had been meditating over recent events. He had been thinking of the peace that washed over the Earth in recent months. There had been no new supervillains and no psychopaths attempting to take over the world.

 

J’onn knew the serenity would not last. Today was the last day for that peace. Today was the first day of the biggest war humanity had ever faced.

 

Upon hearing the alarms, J’onn rose to his feet and crossed the room to look at the monitors.

 

“What is going on?” he asked. On the screen in front of him, he saw massive heat signatures, but they looked nothing like anything he had ever seen before. They looked like pillars of pure energy moving at speeds that nothing that size should move. Tendrils of energy seemed to flick off of them and whip around through space.

 

“There’s hundreds of them,” Oracle exclaimed, staring up at the screen in awe.

 

“No. There’s thousands,” Cyborg corrected her and pointed out the smaller beams in the background that were making their way towards Earth.

 

“What are they?” Oracle asked. It was a rhetorical question. Not one of them knew what they were dealing with.

 

“Alert Superman and the others,” J’onn commanded and began walking out of the room. _I knew the peace wouldn’t last._

 

“Where are you going?” Cyborg asked.

 

“I’m going to see what the hell we’re dealing with.”

 

J’onn stepped out into space and took off flying towards the unknown… _things_ making their way towards them. Regardless of whatever they were facing, now was likely the best time for the League to take something on. The Justice League of America was at the largest and most apt they had ever been. With a core team of twenty-seven members and over one hundred associated heroes helping the group around the world and out in space. At the head of the force was Kal-El, Superman, and at Superman’s side was J’onn. He was a stranger to Earth just last year and in the past twelve months he has proven himself enough to be considered the right hand man of one of the most powerful heroes in the galaxy.

 

J’onn probably should have waited for the others before scouting this potential threat, but he wanted to further prove himself to the heroes of Earth.

 

He should have waited.

 

J’onn knew that now. He knew he should’ve waited. He thought about that as the massive beam of energy rocketed towards him. He thought about that as he turned to flee from the bolt of pure crimson power. He didn’t think about anything as the beam struck his side and he was knocked into unconsciousness by the energy that flowed through him.


	2. OLIVER QUEEN

Oliver Queen was on a hunting trip when the apocalypse came, a damn hunting trip.

 

He gripped his bow tightly in his left hand, an arrow nocked and ready, but not drawn. He prowled over the roots and rocks as silent as a ghost. He was tracking a buck in the woods outside of Star City. It was a nice twelve pointer and would make for a good trophy piece above his fireplace. He was doing this for sport mainly, but they never wasted good meat.

 

He saw it just ahead of him in a small clearing. Oliver crouched beside a tree and drew his arrow back, ready as ever.

 

_Twang!_

An arrow flew at the buck from off to Ollie’s right just as he released his and both bolts found their mark, burying themselves in the animal’s torso and killing it instantly.

 

“Mine hit first!” came a woman’s voice from where the arrow had come.

 

“Like hell it did,” Ollie shouted back and raced off to the deer, the girl hot on his heels. He spun around just in front of the animal and faced the markswoman. Her name was Mia Dearden, Speedy, and she was Oliver’s latest protégée. The girl had had a rough life before he took her in and she was tough as nails. That had been a very important characteristic in the past, but in recent months Earth seemed so peaceful. There was more time for breaks and hunting trips and less of a risk of an early death.

 

“Mia’s hit first,” another woman’s voice. This one belonged to Dinah Lance, the Black Canary and the love of Oliver’s life. _And apparently a traitor._ She came out of the woods with a bow of her own hanging limply in her grasp. She was not as interested in archery as the others were.

 

“No. It didn’t. Mine hit first,” Ollie argued through gritted teeth. _Mine did not hit first._

 

“I’m afraid they’re right, Oliver,” Roy Harper rounded out Oliver’s trio of companions and materialized from behind a nearby tree. Roy had joined Ollie as Speedy when he was just a kid. Now he was a man grown, taller than his mentor, and nearly as skilled with a bow. His auburn hair was shaggy and unkempt on his head and a thin beard framed his still youthful face. He has long since abandoned the Speedy moniker and now goes by the name, Arsenal.

 

“Harper, you’re supposed to be on my side. Three on one isn’t fair,” Ollie said. It earned him a smile from the others and he decided that that made up for the deer. “Fine, it’s yours,” he relented with a wave of his hand and started walking away. Dinah came to his side, leaving Mia and Roy to deal with the animal.

 

“They’ve both come a long way,” Dinah commented, looking back at the two young adults behind them. They had been criminals at one point, then sidekicks, and now heroes all in their own right. Ollie was immensely proud of them both.

 

“Yeah, they-“ Ollie began, but was cut off by a low rumbling above him. He looked up and saw what looked like a thousand bright red lightning bolts racing towards Earth. Dinah dropped her bow when she saw them, her jaw slack in awe. Roy and Mia, apparently aware of their mentor’s shock came barreling out of the woods, the buck forgotten in the dirt.

 

“Are any of you wearing your earpiece?” Dinah asked. The other two shook their heads quickly. Oliver was still too shocked to respond.

 

“We have to go. Now,” Ollie commanded and took off running towards their cars. Dinah was right behind him; Mia and Roy followed shortly after her. Suddenly a flash of light overcame Ollie’s vision, a loud high-pitched cracking noise pounded in his ears, and he was pitched to the side as a beam of pure energy hit him in the shoulder and shot through his body. He didn’t know if it was the unmeasurable pain or the concussion received after his head bounced off the ground, but he soon lost consciousness.


	3. TIM DRAKE

The energy blasts came very suddenly. Despite a warning from Babs up at the Watchtower, they had very little time to get on top of the situation. Yet, they made the best with what they were given. Tim had been the first to notice that the beams were cluttered together above major cities. There were at least a dozen rocketing toward Coast City and Central City, twenty or more headed for Metropolis, just as many at Star City, and at least two dozen bolts were set to strike Gotham City.

 

“Get out there and get as many civilians out of the city as you can,” Bruce had ordered and that’s what they did. Only four of them remained in Gotham: Bruce, Damian, Cass, and Tim himself. Dick Grayson was in Bludhaven, likely doing his best to protect its citizens as well. Babs was up in the Watchtower, acting as Oracle for the entire Justice League. Stephanie was at college in Metropolis and Jason Todd, the Red Hood, was gone with the wind.

 

Donning their capes and cowls, the four of them set out onto the rooftops and cluttered streets of Gotham. Despite a citywide evacuation order, many residents either remained in their homes and stumbled out in a panic. Batman and Robin went through houses and buildings, telling people to go out onto the streets and get out of the city. Once out on the streets, Tim, well, Red Robin guided them towards the Trigate Bridge, where Jim Gordon stood funneling the citizens across the bridge. Cass, Black Bat, leapt from rooftop to rooftop, redirecting stragglers back into the horde.

 

Tim found himself stealing away glances at the sky. The red streaks were rapidly getting closer. They illuminated the area beneath them in a pale pinkish glow. There was no way to get everyone out before they hit. He knew that, but he also knew that telling the civilians would only cause a panic. That panic could lead to a whole number of variables. People might lash out and get violent. People could freak out and try to run, causing a human stampede that would no doubt leave some hurt or injured. _No, just keep them moving,_ Tim told himself.

 

“Come on everyone, let’s go! Let’s go!” Tim shouted down to the mass below him. Off to his left, Batman and Robin were clearing out another building and leading a group of its residents out onto the street. Tim crossed over to a closer roof and shouted down to the people, pointing them towards an alleyway that would lead them back to the main road.

 

Tim looked up again and gasped. A beam, well ahead of the rest, was hovering just over top of him. _Except it’s a little too far left…_

 

Tim knew what was going to happen before it did. He shot his grappling gun at a nearby fire escape and swung down to the ground before taking off in a sprint towards the apartments across the street.

 

“Hey! Batman, Robin! Get out of there!” He shouted over the radio line as he ran.

 

They did. They came out the front door and stepped out onto the street.

 

“What’s wrong?” Batman asked, but before Tim could respond, a loud crack pierced the air. It was the sound of the lone bolt above them breaking its way into the atmosphere and in the same time it would’ve taken him to blink, the beam struck Bruce Wayne. The building crumbled around them. Damian Wayne was sprawled out on the street only a few yards away from where his father had previously stood. Tim Drake was sent flying backwards by the force of the explosion. There was no noise, only a dull ringing in his ears as he hit the ground and his skull bounced off the pavement.

 

Then there was nothing.


	4. GARTH

Garth assumed Atlantis would be safe. He was very wrong.

 

Arthur Curry, Aquaman, had gone up to the surface a while ago in order to help with the surface dwellers’ survival. “League duty,” Arthur had said, leaving Garth and Mera to control and protect Atlantis in his absence. Mera was going through the city, answering questions to the best of her ability and trying to keep everyone calm. Garth wasn’t really a people person. He was infamous in the community, the fabled bringer of destruction. When their king was around, no one dared speak out against him, but when the king was gone, people became a lot more vocal about their discretions.

 

So instead of dealing with the Atlanteans, Garth was stood in a covered courtyard, looking up through the transparent ceiling at the light show that pierced through miles and miles of ocean.

 

A war raged above him and yet he was here, as far away from it as he could be. _At Aquaman’s request. Does he think I’m not ready? Does he think I’m not strong enough?_

 

Garth’s fists were clenched at his side, his face red at the thought of his mentor suspected ineptitude from him.

 

“I am ready. I am strong enough,” Garth said aloud, without even realizing he had done so.

 

“Ready for what?”

 

Garth spun around, startled by the new voice. He saw Tula standing in the doorway. Her teal eyes were focused on his and she wore a knowing smirk, relishing in the fact that she caught him in a personal moment.

 

“War,” Garth said, plainly. He was honest with her, as always. He had nothing to hide from her, but yet even as he said it, he knew he shouldn’t have. She laughed dryly and went to him, stopping just a foot away.

 

“And what do you know of war, Garth? How many have you fought in? What makes you think you’re actually ready?” Tula asked. The words came lightly across her lips. She didn’t put any meanness or venom into them, but they hurt nonetheless. She must have saw it on his face, because she hurried to speak again. “They’re honest questions. What makes you think you won’t just die up there?”

 

“I’m strong,” he said.

 

“Not as strong as Superman or even Aquaman,” she shot back.

 

“I’m fast, quicker than Arthur now,” he responded, puffing his chest out with enthusiasm.

 

“Still not quicker than the Flash,” another disapproving remark from the older girl.

 

“I have powers, abilities that can turn the tide,” Garth explained, stepping even closer to her.

 

“You know who else has powers? The Green Lanterns, Shazam, Supergirl, Doctor-“ she began, but was interrupted by Garth’s lips pressing against her own. Garth and Tula had been spending more and more time together as of late. There was an obvious attraction between the two, and yet this was their first kiss, their first explicit display of affection. In truth, Garth was nervous, entirely unsure as to how she would react, yet he acted on impulse and made his move. When she pressed her body against his and deepened the kiss, all of Garth’s fear was replaced by an explosion of joy within his head.

 

And then there was another explosion.

 

The courtyard broke apart in a flash of blinding red light. The force of it knocked the two of them away from one another. Garth opened his mouth to shout something to Tula, but mere seconds after the first one, a second beam of energy touched down near Garth, this one knocking him unconscious.

**Author's Note:**

> I know the chapter was short, but please bear with me. The further on in the story I go, the longer the chapters will be. I already have Chapter 2 written, so if you like the concept or my writing, do let me know in the comments. I will put the next chapter up either today or tomorrow, depending on your guys' feedback. Thank you for reading The Thirteen Who Remain.


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